


The Rider's Bind

by Auggusst



Series: World of Warcraft [1]
Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Alliance, Cloud Serpents, Drabble, Jade Forest, Jade Temple, Mists of Pandaria, Other, Pandaren - Freeform, Quest line, The Jade Serpent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-08 04:02:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1925967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auggusst/pseuds/Auggusst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the quest in the Jade Forest, “The Rider’s Bind”.</p><p>Will probably make more of these. More for personal enjoyment, since no one will probably read them. Haah.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rider's Bind

“Have you seen the young serpents in the training yard?

The little ones tend to be mischevious, and some of them ran off to play before the training session.

The Mistress will get angry if she discovers they’re missing.

Would you go find them and bring them back to me? I don’t want them to get into trouble.

They like to play out in the open, so look for them in courtyards and around the spires.”

* * *

 

Given this new task, Kimbetheli felt a bit of excitement. She was fascinated with Cloud Serpents, the small amount she had seen, and felt this was a wonderful opportunity to really get to know the creatures. They were simply beautiful, she thought, and their scales came in such vivid colors. The way they soared in the air, graceful and calm but with surprising speed, was a subject of awe for the redheaded woman. Of course she jumped at the chance to admire the creatures up close. She had seen a few in her short time in Pandaria and felt immediately drawn to them. She wished she could ride one, but from what she understood, only those in The Order of the Cloud Serpent could. She had lost her gryphon, Hawthorne, during the Cataclysm, and sorely missed life in the sky.

She walked around the lavish temple, passing students and masters, feet echoing on the jade and stone tiles. Various pieces of the architecture depicted images of serpents and flights in the sky. Precious details were etched in gold, and mosaic patterns covered the ancient floors. Not to mention, the temple was incredibly large. There were rooms for training, a large banquet hall, an altar for Yu'lon, the August Celestial, a massive library, gardens, and lounges and dormitories. It was a testament to the prowess of the Pandaren people in all aspects of their lives: their sense of community, their appreciation of nature and beauty, and their ability to fight. Kimbetheli could study the area forever, but she was assigned a task, and had to complete it.

It was a bit overwhelming, however, trying to find four little serpents in such a large and ornate place. There were a thousand little nooks where the creatures could hide, and she only knew a handful of them in her short time there. But, after a few minutes, when Kimbetheli approached a small, circular terrace overlooking the water, she found her first target. It was a small azure serpent, with scales ranging from light blue to dark and even hints of gold here and there, especially on the back. It was circling the small fountain on the terrace, seemingly unaware of Kimbetheli. As she watched, it began to play, flying upwards and sharply down, grazing the surface of the water. It yelped, nipping at the surface of the water, seemingly enamored with its own reflection. She couldn’t help but smile at the sound. 

The woman made whistled to get its attention, and the serpent looked curiously at her from a distance, unsure if it should approach or stay away. Kimbetheli curled a finger in her direction. “Come here,” She coaxed with a smooth voice. Turning its head to the left once, then to the right, the serpent sniffed the air in her direction, hesitation clear in it's bright eyes. She whistled once more, beckoning the creature towards her. It seemed to make up its mind then, deciding to trust her, and came towards her. The little dragon circled her once and floated before her, yelping.

Kimbetheli grinned. “Aren’t you adorable,” She muttered, tying one of the rope leashes she had been given around the creature’s neck. She stroked its back, and marveled at how smooth the scales felt. The little creature was warm as well. It pushed her hand up to its head, just behind the tiny horns. Getting the message, she complied by scratching, smiling at the satisfied purr that the serpent elicited.

“Now, let’s go find the others,” She declared, tugging gently on the rope leash. The serpent followed without hesitation. She found the baby cloud serpents to be surprisingly trusting. Each only took a few moments to warm up to her, and then gladly followed her lead. They were so different than gryphons. Gryphons were quite feisty, even from birth, and took a long time to become comfortable with their prospective owners. More than once at the start, Hawthorne bit Kim's fingers. Cloud Serpents seemed like puppies in comparison.

Two hatchlings later, Kimbetheli made her way to the library of the temple, three little serpents circling around her. It had taken quite a while to collect them all. Individually they were calm and loveable, but together, baby cloud serpents seemed to acquire a new sense of energy and chaos. Thankfully it wasn't the first time Kim had to wrangle small creatures, so she managed, but not without getting worn out a bit. She was starting to lose a little patience by the time she entered the massive library. The library consisted of three floors with gentle, warm lighting from large lanterns. There were ladders and staircases, tables, chairs, and of course numerous books. Some were small while others were simply massive. They were stacked neatly, and also not so neatly, on tall shelves and in piles on the floor. Various scrolls, some as big as her, and some small, were littered around tables as well.

Some Pandaren milled about, either studying tomes or writing on scrolls. A few conversed in the corner, sharing laughs or polite conversation. All seemed in order, save for an unusual amount of frustration in the voice of a Pandaren in the corner. There was an elder, holding an ink brush in his hand angrily. His robes were stained with ink and he seemed to be shouting at something in the air. As Kimbetheli’s eyes followed his, she saw what the cause of frustration was. It was a golden cloud serpent hatchling, high on the shelves, nibbling at one of the large volumes. It too was stained in ink. It didn't take much to figure out what happened.

Kimbetheli sighed and shook her head, heading over to the elder. "I'm guessing the little thing knocked over your inkwell? I'm sorry. I've been sent to collect them- I'll get him out of here quick," the woman said, laying a hand on his arm apologetically.

He looked down at her and sighed, shaking his head. "The hatchlings always cause havoc in the library. If it's not cloud serpent hatchlings, it's young Pandaren! I'm at my wit's end. Just do what you can," he sighed, and Kimbetheli nodded.

She turned her attention to the hatchling as the elder walked away, presumably to change his robes. She thought for a moment. He was quite high, up on the top shelf. If it were possible, he had a smug expression. There was no remorse in his big eyes as he chewed up a tome. Kimbetheli shook her head, smiling a little. With some clicks of her tongue, she got the creature’s attention. It looked down at her, a scrap of paper in its mouth, head turning from side to side. 

"Come little one!" the redhead said sweetly, holding a hand up for him to come close. The little dragon snorted, obviously disinterested.

Kim sighed. “Now don’t be like that. Come down here,” the woman said, pointing her index finger down at the floor.

The serpent made a defiant noise, much like a small child, and nipped at the tome before it, ripping out a sheet of parchment.

She frowned, shaking her head. “No,” Kimbetheli said firmly. “Come here.”

As if wanting to help, the azure serpent, the first she had collected, yelped up at the golden serpent, flying up to it and pushing it lightly. It yipped back, determined to keep destroying the books.

“Honestly, these little creatures can be very annoying,” a nearby Pandaren sighed, shaking his head and crossing his arms. Kim looked around briefly, and noticed she had a small audience. The situation was a bit distracting. She wanted to hurry it up now so the elders could get back to their work.

“Seems like it. Although it looks like he’s beginning to cooperate,” She noted, pointing upwards. The azure hatchling nipped at the golden one, and finally, it shook itself once and slowly glided down, circling Kimbetheli. She smiled a little and sighed in relief. She secured the little troublemaker with a leash.

“There.” The woman muttered, feeling relief. Her task was finally done. That wasn't to say she didn't enjoy it. She loved seeing cloud serpents up close, even if they weren't full grown. But, they seemed to be a lot to handle. She would be relieved to hand them back to their owner. This little quest had taken a good hour, mainly because the temple was so large and it was hard to find her way around. But she had done it nonetheless. It wasn't the hardest thing she'd ever done.

Hands full of rope leashes and surrounded by little serpents, Kimbetheli made her way back to the courtyard with confidence, a radiant smile on her face. The serpents seemed to really enjoy her company, as they playfully nipped at her sleeves or purred affectionately at her as she walked. Sure, they were a handful, but the beenefits of such a companion seemed to outweigh the difficulties. She would have loved to get one of her own. Of course that wasn’t a possibility, because serpents were gifted to riders-in-training and adjuncts of the temple. This tradition dated back a few hundred years and was thoroughly upheld. After all, they were dragons and powerful creatures, not house cats. But, Kimbetheli wasn't an average woman. She was sure she could handle such an animal. 

Kim returned to the young Pandaren Fei, handing over the leashes to the cloud serpents. This took several moments, as the hatchlings were all so excited and playful that they tangled their leashes around not only Kim, but Fei as well, and had to be untangled. She had only been with the creatures a short time, but found it a little difficult to hand them over. They were just so loveable, and with the absence of her own mount still fresh in her memory, she couldn't help but long for a cloud serpent of her own. The azure one in particular seemed unhappy to be parted with Kimbetheli, and brushed itself against her face before joining the other serpents. That didn't make the parting any easier. She smiled a little, giving the creature a final pat, and saying her goodbyes to the bunch as well as the young Pandaren. 

Perhaps with a bit of convincing, she could find a way to have a serpent of her own. Who knew? She wasvery persuasive.

* * *

 

“You found them and brought them all back!

They’ve really taken a liking to you.

Thank you so much!”

**Author's Note:**

> First and last lines taken straight from the quest itself.


End file.
